Survival of the Fittest
by WriterofFantasies
Summary: A teenager is taken away in his senior year by a mysterious headache an unknown voice. When he arrives in the world of Minecraft to find it drastically different, will he be able to survive the new mobs and go home. Will he even want to go home?
1. Arrival and Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Minecraft, nor any published or unpublished work mentioned in this story. I only own the story itself. I will not repeat this disclaimer.**

(Unknown PoV- Unknown Location)

"So tell me, class, what is the most important rule in the wild?" My Biology teacher asked his class.

The teacher was an interesting man. He always made leaps in logic that most people couldn't follow, but I could. Even with that trait, I still felt like I barely understood him. That was truly quite rare. I could understand most people after the first introduction.

We couldn't pronounce his name right, so we called him Mr. J. Well, I could say it right, but it sounded weird without the accent, so I kept the abbreviation.

"Kill or be killed?" A student, one I didn't really know, suggested from in front of me. I sat in the back of the class. Not out of a desire to be farther from the teacher, but rather as it was the most logical conclusion. My eyesight was near-perfect, so I did not need to sit in the front.

"You are quite close! It touches on that." Mr. J said.

"Eat or be eaten?" Another student asked, this one I recognized as Jane. She was a second year student taking Bio II.

"Once again, on the right topic, but still wrong." The teacher said. He seemed to be waiting, and I knew exactly what he was waiting for.

I sighed and closed my book, placing my folded-up slip of paper I used as a bookmark at page 417. I had started the book that day. I looked up at Mr. J and he seemed to smile.

"Survival of the fittest. Darwinism at its finest." I said.

"Correct! Survival of the fittest is the way nature makes sure the strong survive, and the weak don't. Even in modern societies, you can find it. Look at businesses. The larger, more succesful ones stay the same, yet the others are replaced yearly." Mr. J continued his lecture, yet I stopped listening.

I actually didn't even need the class. I already had all four of my sciences. Chem I, Chem II, Bio I, and Physics. Technically, I had four and a half, as I had taken Agriculture I out of curiosity. Yet, the principal had approached me at the start of my senior year, telling me I couldn't have three classes. I needed four, two for each semester.

So I took Bio II. I'll tell you, most would say it's a bad idea to take Bio II as a senior when you took Bio I as a freshman. However, it was either Bio II, which is easy, Physical Science, which is called an intro to Chem, or Environmental, which is an intro to Bio.

The choice was obvious. So, I stuck with it and focused more on my books than the class, not paying attention. Yet my average was still a 98. I wonder what that says about me?

I reopened my book back to my page and continued where I left off. I listened vaguely enough to hear one of the sophomores whisper to his friend.

"Of course the senior knows the answer."

Hehe, I always found it funny when lower classmen looked at upper classmen and thought all of us to be dedicated students. Most of my grade was more concerned with alcohol, drugs, parties, and sex. What I was interested in was pretty obvious.

I flipped a page and tuned back in briefly, listening for anything knew.

"Osmosis is the process-"

I tuned back out. Only he could go from Darwin's Theory of Evolution to osmosis.

The bell rang and I glanced up, briefly surprised, before noticing the time. I replaced my bookmark, now on 463, and placed it in my backpack. I stood up and started to exit when I heard my name called.

I turned to see Mr. J reach out and hand me a slip of tan paper and smile. I took it and slipped it in my pocket and nodded my thanks.

"That's for answering the question earlier, Viron."

I smiled and exited the class. Just like no one could say his name right, no one could say mine right, either. Most believe it is V-I-Ron. Nope, it's Veer-run.

I glanced down at the paper I pulled from my pocket. It was a panther dollar. They were slips of paper the school used to reward good students. You could turn them in at the concession for snacks.

I noticed the name had been left blank, yet still had Mr. J's signature on it. I handed it to the first student I passed and continued walking. I vaguely heard the thanks and performed my two finger and one thumb wave. It was odd, but I was the only one in school to do it, so I liked it.

The rest of the students were heading to lunch, but I had a different destination. I walked between the gates and started my hour walk home. As a senior, I only go to school for half a day.

I smiled at the prospect of a hour of solitude. I was a loner, albeit not the true definition. A true loner is a person who prefers no company whatsoever. Me? I like company... to an extent.

Throughout my years, I've met many, many people who annoy me after only an hour or two of company. I have yet to meet a person outside my family who I truly enjoyed being with. Too many people misunderstood me. Too many people were the complete opposite of me. This has caused me to become somewhat of a loner.

I never understood the phase 'opposites attract.' Sure, it works for magnetism. Negatives and positives attract each other and balance out into a neutral, but the same tends to not happen for people. Too many clashing ideas cause too many problems. I know.

A little over twenty minutes into my walk, I felt a headache begin to form. Knowing it was still forty minutes before I'd be able to take medicine, I adjusted the familiar weight of my backpack and simply kept walking, content to ignore the pain.

My backpack was my savior when it came to school. Having easy classes that needed no notebooks, it was filled to the brim with things I might need at school, or even elsewhere. I used in to keep myself entertained, and it's my travel bag when I go somewhere overnight.

Having often been invited to overnight trips at the last second, the first thing packed was two sets of clothes in the main part. On top of them was several books for me to read. They usually change out every week.

Next, in a side pocket was my phone and three, fully charged portable chargers. Opposite that in a side pocket was a pair of Bluetooth headphones, and normal ear buds.

In a small zipper, I had two pencils, a pen, a Sharpie, and a 200 lumen flashlight. In a Velcro pocket was a pack of gum and 100 index cards as well as some sticky notes. In the final pocket was a deck of cards.

Then, my jacket. My jacket had the average two side pockets, but it also had one hidden pocket, right in front of my heart. Within it, I had a pocket knife that was six inches when extended.

I smiled as I completed my paranoia-inspired checklist. I had everything on me. Then, I winced as I felt a spike of pain from my headache. I was eager to get home, take a couple painkillers, pack up the few extras, and go spend a weekend in the woods.

As mentioned earlier, I am not a true loner, yet I do enjoy solitude and time alone. Eventually, I took up the hobby of going camping on some weekends. I had my own site that was on private land, so I would leave a lot of supplies at the site. The only things I would need to gather was supplies.

As I walked, I contemplated bringing my machete or my gun. A machete has more uses, but a gun is a better self-defence tool. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to bring my machete and leave my gun.

After returning to my home, I walked up the stairs onto the porch. As I pulled out my key from my lanyard, I absent noticed that both my mom and dad were gone. It wasn't surprising, considering their jobs. Both ended up being out of town for weeks at a time. I didn't mind, though. Solitude is a great companion. Not loneliness or isolation, though.

I entered my house and set my key on the counter. Then, I immediately went to my room and changed out of my uniform. I donned a pair of pseudo-camoflauge pants and my black shirt that had a skeleton wearing headphones standing in front of blue fire.

It was not the most matching outfit, nor was it the most flattering. However, I enjoyed it and it was my favorite outfit. I always enjoyed the fact that the skeleton on the shirt wore headphones, and had a blue tooth. Bluetooth headphones.

I smiled. Sometimes the simplest things can amuse me. Then, I threaded a black belt through the belt loops. Then, I attached my machete sheathe onto the belt loops. I grabbed my machete and examined it for a moment.

It was rather plain, being as long as my arm and painted completely black. The handle grip was long since worn away, leaving me to wrap a roll of black electrical tape around the handle to create a new grip.

I slid it into it's leather sleathe with an oddly satisfying sound. I then went to the kitchen and started packing supplies.

Six MREs, multiple packs of hardtack, five bottles of water, a LifeStraw, matches, a lighter, a whetstone, and a small pot for boiling water. I managed to fit it all in my backpack... after removing two books, leaving four more. I solved a bit of the problem by stuffing a few things in the pot.

I then went to my bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. I grabbed the first-aid kit and two ibuprofen. I took the painkillers and placed the kit in the same pocket as my deck of cards.

Then, I stepped back and looked at my pack.

"I am overly prepared. Maybe I should get rid of some stuff... Nah!"

Then, my prepper grin surfaced as I turned and grabbed a pack of AAA batteries and slid them into the same pocket as my phone.

I looked back, ticking off a mental checklist. Satisfied I wasn't missing anything, I turned around and continued, locking the door and taking the key. I walked down the steps, ready to begin my weekend, only to stop.

"Wait... Do I even have anything that needs AAA? Oh yeah, my flashlight. And I need to stop talking to myself, but it's useful." I said, slightly amused at the end.

I hopped in my car and grabbed the keys out of the glove compartment. I wasn't worried about my car being stolen. It wasn't anything special and we lived in the middle of nowhere. And out of a habit of forgetting my wallet, and ergo my license, I kept my wallet in the car.

I slipped it into my pocket and drove down the driveway and made my way down the road, ready for the two hour trip to the campsite.

(Viron's PoV- Private Campsite)

I pulled into the campsite and stopped as I looked around the familiar clearing. A single tent sat in the corner of the clearing. A few feet in front sat a small fire pit, surrounded with stones. The rest of the clearing was just that, a clearing.

I got out of my car and grabbed my bag and reattached my machete sheathe. However, the moment I slung my bag over my shoulder and closed the door, my ealier headache came back with a vengeance.

I collapsed to the ground in complete agony. My vision blacked out, yet I could hear my own screams. Then, my hearing began to fade as well. The last thing I heard was a vague voice saying, "He'll do."

(Viron's PoV- Unknown Location)

I awoke an unknown time later. When I did, I surprisingly didn't regret it. My headache was gone, and I had no other unexpected headaches. I sat up and was instantly relieved to feel my backpack and machete. At least something was the same. Then I looked around.

At first, nothing seemed odd except for my lack of a campsite. Then I started noticing a few things. First, was that contrast was too clear. The bark of the trees seemed like it was various shades painted onto them, rather than one blended shade. The same went for everything else, even me.

The greens and browns of my pseudo-camo pants were too obvious. Then I noticed everything had a sort of, outline, to it. A rather large black box would surround everything I looked at. The 'walls' of the box looked about an inch thick, and the box itself covered about a square meter.

Then I noticed the book. It was a small tan book that looked vaguely familiar. I grabbed it and looked at the cover, seeing no title. Then, I opened it up and started reading. I immediately stopped.

"Okay! How the hell is there a Tinker's Construct guide here? Who the hell would go through the trouble of printing it just to leave it near me? Did they somehow knock me out?"

I stopped ranting and took a deep breath. Then, I opened my eyes and let my logical mind out and started listing facts and observations.

One- Tinker's Construct guide in perfect condition, identical to game.

Two- Unknown location yet still in contact with my supplies. In a forest with a small mountain a hundred meters distant.

Three- Square meter 'outline' surrounds all surfaces looked at within a five meter distance.

Four- Color pallete is unnatural. Shades are contrasted rather than blended.

Five- All tree trunks are the same size, one meter thick. Trees are mildly identical.

Six- All grown grass is identical. Either one meter or two meters tall.

After doing my little checklist, I calmed down and thought. My mind, having been subjected to an endless array of science fiction, fantasy, and even fanfiction immediately jumped to this being Minecraft... Somehow.

Logical and realism, however, counters that by pointing out that the world was not blocky. However, logic also mentioned that the world would not be identical to the game.

"Only one way to find out." I said.

Normally, people would go punch a tree. Not me. If it didn't work, I'd possibly break my hand. Instead, I neared one of the two meter tall grasses and backhanded it. With a familiar sound, it shattered and vanished.

I stared down at the ground where the grass was, intrigued by the seeds hovering and spinning about six or so inches off the ground.

"That settles it." I said simply.

As I felt the rising panic from being stuck in an unknown world for an unknown amount of time, I pushed it down with logic and reason.

"This world isn't unknown. I know what to do and how to survive. I can do this. Now isn't the time for panic and fear. I can let that out once I have a shelter."

I walked past the seeds, only to stop as they were pulled toward me and disappeared with a pop.

"Hmm. Where do those go, I wonder?"

I checked all my pockets in both my jacket and pants, and even slung my backpack over my shoulder to check it. I could not find the seeds anywhere.

I rolled my eyes and spoke. "What, do I have to say 'open inventory?'

I jumped back with a yelp as a transparent white box appeared a little to my right, a foot in front of my right shoulder. In it, I could see the seeds.

"Close inventory?" With a slight whirl, the box vanished.

I glanced over my shoulder. "So it seems item in my backpack can't be placed in the inventory. Or maybe it's because they are from another world?"

I walked to a average sized oak tree and looked at the trunk. "Hmm, I still don't want to punch it. Maybe kicking? Does kicking it even work?"

I turned and kicked a piece of grass, satisfied that it broke. I turned back to the tree and kicked it with the flat of my foot. I was slightly alarmed when nothing happened. I turned and kicked it harder, and repeated twice. Nothing happened.

"Shit, if I can't gather wood, night will be a bitch."

After thinking for a moment, I frowned. "Maybe it's like adventure mode? You need the right tool to break anything. I could break grass because it doesn't require a tool."

I grabbed my machete and swung at the trunk, angling my blade like I've always done. I smiled as a rather large crack appeared. I waited, and after six seconds, the crack disappeared.

Satisfied with the knowledge, I swung my machete again, then twice more. With a cracking sound, the trunk shattered and a small oak log was hovering in the ground. However, immediately the rest of the tree feel down, luckily falling away from me.

I breathed a sigh of relief at that and grabbed the oak log, then worked on the rest of the tree. Just like grass, leaves could be broken with my hand.

I looked at the forest around me. "I should probably use the same strategy that always worked in the actual game. Now, how the hell do I craft?"

"Open Inventory." As I said it, the semi-familiar box appeared and I reached out. I tried to grab the wood, only for my hand to go through the box. Frowning, I tapped it instead.

With a few blue particles, the five logs appeared in front of me. They were each about a square inch. They didn't 'stack' in their physical state, which made sense.

Out of curiosity, I slipped them into my jacket pocket. After a few seconds, I removed them. "It seems that the inventory is meant to store objects you don't have room for on you. That might be why my backpack supplies isn't in the inventory.

"Now, how do I actually make this into planks? If I saw right, the inventory doesn't have the two by two grid. Open inventory."

After a second, I signed and closed the box. The two by two crafting grid wasn't in there. Out of frustration, I crushed one of the logs in my fist.

I jumped when a sharp pop echoed throughout the forest.

I opened my fist and smiled at the sight of planks. I squeezed the four planks and opened my hand at the pop, only to frown at the sticks. There were eight.

"Okay, so crushing basically takes them apart rather than make something new. Expansion isn't really something you can do with your hands, so what if I put them in a square?"

Done musing, I took another log and crushed it into planks. Then, I set them in a square on my palm. I smiled as I saw them come together with blue energy, revealing a crafting table.

I looked at the ground. After realizing where I was, I understood that the black box was the outline. I tossed the crafting table down and smiled as it expanded into a full-sized table.

Then, I crushed another log into planks and made a wooden pickaxe. All that was needed was to arrange the materials correctly the right way. Taking my new pick, I went to the small mountain and mined eight pieces of stone from the sides. I then returned to the table and made a sword, axe, and pickaxe out of stone.

"Time to spend the next few hours collecting wood."

(Viron's PoV- Minecraft Forest)

With an exhausted sigh, I collapsed in the small hollow created when I mined the earlier stone. In the unusual situation of being in a place that was both familiar and unfamiliar, I had neglected the fact that I wasn't an avatar like I usually do this with.

In short, I was tired! I had collected a little over thirty logs. It was getting rather close to night, so I planned to rest for a few hours before digging a room into the side of the mountain.

After resting sufficiently, I stood up with a grunt and began digging a six by six room in the mountain. I expanded the tunnel into the room and placed two doors. Afterwards, I threw my crafting table down and sat against the wall.

I watched the doors as the familiar, yet terrifying, sounds of zombies and skeletons began to appear. With a single tear running down my face, I fell asleep, terrified of whether or not I'd survive in this new world, and dreading the absolute isolation from other humans.

If there is one thing Minecraft taught you, it was the fact that being alone in an infinite world isn't fun. To cope, you busy yourself with everything you can think of. Whether an arena or a village, you built to keep yourself sane.

(Viron's PoV- Four days later)

With a satisfied sigh, I collapsed onto my red and white bed, tired after another days work. Looking back, it seemed hard to believe only four days had passed. This world worked just like Minecraft when it counted.

The second day, I woke up aching. Nevertheless, I got up and worked. I spent most of the day gathering logs and hunting down exposed coal veins, which I found. I made a furnace and cooked some mutton I had gotten from sheep. The wool, I used for my bed. Even an animal's death worked the same as the game. I lit my home up with torches, but didn't fall asleep until near midnight due to the horrendous sounds and blazing light. I would have to get used to the light.

The third day, I created a stone hoe and made a small wheat farm on the banks of a nearby river. I used fences to block it off and lit it up with torches. I also dug two more rooms in the cave-house and moved my bed further underground. I also discovered that torches could be blown out, which made me feel stupid. I filled the extra room with chests and furnaces and made it my workshop.

Yesterday , I spent doing cosmetics. It probably wasn't smart, but the stone/gravel/dirt/granite walls, roof, and floor bothered me. I replaced the walls and roof with wooden planks and the floors with polished andesite. Then, using some surface iron, I crafted two buckets and moved my farm closer and expanded it. It now produced more bread then I could eat, but I was getting tired of it.

Today, I found something out. This world had 'mods.' I had already suspected it thanks to the Tinker's Construct manual, but didn't know if any others were actually real. So far, I recognized Pam's HarvestCraft, BuildCraft, Thermal Expansion, Tinker's Construct, and perhaps GalacticCraft.

How did I know all these existed? Because apparently I have Not Enough Items. Not exactly, per se, but it was an extra book in my backpack. I had found it when taking a break, and discovered it. It was extremely thick and was completely black. It had 'NEI' written in white print on the cover.

It held every single recipe from all the mods. I recognized the quarry from BuildCraft, the juices from HarvestCraft, the NASA workbench from GalacticCraft, the engines and florbs from Thermal Expansion, and finally, the seared bricks from Tinker's Construct.

I had spent the entire day gathering sand, gravel, and clay for grout. The Foundry was extraordinary useful. It would double ore yield, allow customized and augmented tools, and even make alloys.

I would always rush to having a large Foundry and real life was no exception. I fell asleep with the grout cooking in my furnaces in the workshop.

(Viron's PoV- The Next Day)

When I awoke the next morning, I quickly got up. I retrieved the seared bricks from the furnaces. I crafted the Controller, the Bricks, the Tank, two Drains, two Channels, and finally, A Casting Table and Casting Basin. When I finished, I paused.

"Now where do I put this? Inside would be more convient, yet outside is safer. There's going to be a lot of molten metal in it, so its definitely a fire hazard. Yeah, I'll put it outside. In fact, I'll move the entire workshop outside. It'll be good to get some fresh air."

I quickly grabbed a crafting table and five chests and walked outside. Then, I stopped.

"Shit. I need to clear out a space."

I got my stone axe and began chopping trees, then used my shovel to flatten some room. Right before I began to place the bricks, I stopped and smiled. I went back onto my house and pulled out my phone and Bluetooth headphones. I grabbed a stack of torches as well. When I went outside, I surrounded the clearing with torches so nothing would spawn within the, what I call, 'agro zone.' Its the range in which a mob will notice me.

"'Course, it won't work if they actually have sight rather than a sixteen meter range."

I connected my phone and headphones and started my playlist and put it on shuffle. After skipping several songs so the first one would be completely random, I got to work. The sun was already near setting, but I wasn't worried.

After nearly two hours of working, the sun had fully set. I paused my music and looked around. I smiled. The mobs could clearly see me, even being more than fifty meters away, but they refused to enter the light. That was extremely useful knowledge.

I continued my music, occasionally singing to myself and continued working. I placed down the last chest and set my three iron ores into it. The Foundry was complete and next to it I had a double chest for ores, a double chest for ingots, and a single chest for casts.

The cast chest was empty because, unfortunately, I needed gold to make them. I also couldn't power the Foundry just yet because it needed lava. I did have a bucket, but I have yet to find lava. Mainly because I haven't even gone mining yet.

As I stepped back to admire the Foundry, I smiled. I loved it. It felt extremely satisfying to see this with my own eyes and not through a computer screen. I wasn't near as tired either. I had been constantly getting stronger since I arrived. It was a slow increase, but one nonetheless.

I turned and went back into my home. I had plans to go mining tomorrow. Knowing myself, I'd be underground for a day, maybe a little longer. I packed plenty of bread and my rations, which I had saved. I knew that soon I'd have to find some berries and plant some bushes. Bread was getting old.

(Viron's PoV- Cave System)

I sat down on a stone chunk and placed a block of cobblestone to block the entrance. It would be a long wait for me to regain my strength. I made another pickaxe, already having broken several.

"Open Inventory."

The now very familiar box appeared and a rather satisfied grin appeared on my face. Three stacks of coal, a stack and a half of iron ore, twenty-three gold ore, a little under two stacks of Redstone and forty-seven Lapis. It was a good haul. Unfortunately, I had no way of telling if I was deep enough for diamonds. F3 simply didn't exist. I tried.

I tried to stick near lava, but it never led to any diamonds. Speaking of lava, I had two tanks of it. I had remembered that the Seared Tank would keep the lava in it, even when broken, so I made another and took them with me. They were both full of lava now, totalling eight buckets.

I stood up with a groan after I felt well enough rested. Then, I started mining a staircase upward, always making sure to mine in front of me incase any gravel falls. I broke out onto the surface and looked around. I was very happy to see the mountain my home was in not far from me. I quickly made my way back, just as the sun was setting.

I entered the clearing as the iconic groans and bones began sounding in the forest. It was blazing with light but I immediately noticed two things wrong. My door was open and my wheat farm had been harvested. I quickly drew my iron sword in my right hand and my machete with my left hand, my off hand.

I entered my home and the main room was empty, like always. My storage room looked the same as always, and my bedroom was clear, yet the bed had obviously been used, evident by the traces of mud and crumpled blanket. Frowning, I threw my cobblestone in a chest and placed the gold in the Foundry. As it smelted and I made casts, I switched on my headphones and started listening to music.

After a time, I had a reinforced iron pickaxe, reinforced iron broadsword, and a basic iron longsword. Now, the longsword doesn't fit any kind of style I'd use. It was purely to test to see of the ability worked. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to use the ability. I drew it and felt a form of energy fill my legs. With a single jump, I jumped up into the tree branches. I smiled.

The longsword's lung ability worked perfectly. It was, in my opinion, the most useful ability in the game. It allowed the wielder to jump several meters up or over. Clearing gaps in caves or escaping fights has never been easier.

Then, I worked on something I considered probably impossible. Would this world allow the creation of new items? I saw no reason why it wouldn't, but I was still concerned it was a waste of time.

Three hours later, I stepped towards the river at the edge of the clearing and smiled at my reflection. I was covered in Iron Armor. Not the usual set though. Using golden casts and molten iron, I managed to make a set of 'Heavy' iron armor. It was thicker in vital places such as the head, neck, and chest. It covered every inch of me including my fingers and toes.

The joints and flexible sections were segmented and overlapping, yet they overlapped in a way that made it near impossible to slip a sword into the gap. Speaking of swords, my three sheathe had been moved. My longsword was on my back, my machete on my right to be used by my left hand, and my broadsword vice versa.

The helmet had drastically changed as well. It was now a closed helmet, having only two slits; one for the eyes and one for the mouth. The armor was incredibly hot, yet surprisingly light. To clarify, it was still heavy as hell, but it was far lighter than it looked. Just walking in it would be a good strength-building exercise. Forget fighting in it.

Feeling restless, I dug three more rooms into the mountain. The first was a kitchen/dining room combo. The second became my new bedroom. The old room became my living room. The third room was left empty.

To recap, you enter the clearing and see the Foundry against the mountainside. Next to it were several chests and crafting interfaces. Across from that was a rather large wheat farm. It consisted of a single water block, with the tilled land extending three blocks in each direction. A full harvest was forty-eight pieces of wheat.

Entering the double doors, there was a six by six living room. To the left was a storage room, the right was a kitchen, and continuing on led to the blank room.

Past the storage room was another blank room where the workshop was before it was moved outside. Past that even further was my new bedroom. After finishing, I went back outside to check the time, wondering if I'd have time to sleep for a bit.

As my music neared a familiar point, I smiled. I loved to sing this part, for no reason whatsoever. I heard the build up and opened my mouth.

" _The black magic of Mulholland Drive,_

 _Swimming pools under desert skies,_

 _Drinking white wine in the blushing light,_

 _Just another LA Devo-"_

A scream pierced the air, easily heard over my music. I ripped my headphones off and dropped my phone, then drew my machete and broadsword. My longsword was on my back. I was prepared for pretty much anything. I ran toward the source of the screams. I saw light in the distance and smiled. When I neared it and saw the clearing, my smile tried to widen.

Not because of the four Ender Reapers with their scythes at the ready, nor the three girls in a pool of water, one injured, one fine, and one unconscious. No, it was because of the water itself.

It came straight out of my second favorite mod, and my first favorite combat mod. Etherium. I recognized the glowing blue liquid straight out of Ars Magica 2. It would lead to some pretty devastating spells, such as Starfall. Combine that with Entangle, and you'll do massive damage to anything.

I stopped at the edge of the clearing and allowed my mind to slip into overdrive, immediately analyzing the situation. The four Reapers were identical, large black beings with smoke trails instead of legs, two massive wings and a scythe each. They were a familiar enemy.

The girls were the ones I didn't recognize. The unconscious one was wearing a pixelized green hoodie and darker leggings. I couldn't tell, but I was convinced it was a creeper hoodie. She had auburn hair.

The injured one wore a gray vest, gray leggings, and a white shirt. Her hair was platinum blonde, on top of which was a skeleton hat. She also held a bow at the ready, rather useless against anything of the Ender Family. Her injury was a large gash across her stomach, bleeding rapidly.

The third girl, who was fine, was not in the water, rather, she seemed to be avoiding it. She wore a black hoodie with a Enderman beanie and wore dark blue leggings.

The, for now 'Skeleton Girl,' yelled at the 'Enderman Girl.' "Can't you get these things to leave us alone?!"

The Ender Girl replied calmly. "They aren't Endermen. I can't do anything."

She glanced at Creeper Girl and spoke to Skeleton Girl. "Amaryllis, get Lindsey out of here. I'll distract them long enough for you two to find somewhere safe."

Skeleton Girl, now Amaryllis, shook her head. "I'm not leaving you Amber."

At this point, I was finished planning and sheathed my machete and drew my longsword. "Time to drop in on these freaks."

Taking advantage of the ability, I did exactly that. I jumped several meters up and forward, coming down directly on a Reaper. My blades poised, they dug straight into the monster's neck, killing it instantly.

I rolled forward in time to dodge a scythe swing and came up in front of Amber, who I spoke to. "Take my sheathed sword and run the direction I came from. You'll come across a lit clearing. Go into the mountain house and set the unconscious one on a couch. I'll be there shortly. Wait for me to distract them."

Amber nodded and drew my sword and Amaryllis hoisted Ali over her shoulder. They both waited for me to make a move, and so did the Reapers. I cleared my mind and let instinct take over. With a leap, the battle started.

(Amaryllis' PoV- Etherium Clearing)

The gray-clad girl watched, stunned, as the iron savior leapt into the air, several meters up, and with a spin, cleaved open a Reaper's head. She snapped out of it when Amber tapped her.

"We need to go, Amy."

I nodded and followed Amber, slightly slowed by Lindsey's weight and my own injury. After a couple tense minutes with Amber brandishing the man's dark sword, we arrived. Immediately rushing in, I placed Lindsey on a couch.

Amber and I sat down and I couldn't help but review the last few minutes. We were attacked by several Reapers and after Lindsey was knocked out, we were convinced we would die. Then, someone clad in strange iron armor comes flying out of the woods, killing a Reaper, which we had trouble managing. There was five at first. He, for his voice was obviously male, told us where to go to be safe, and used himself as a distraction. Last I saw, he had killed another.

Amber turned to me and asked, "What kind of hybrid do you think he is?"

I smiled slightly. "With that kind of jumping, he must be a Spider."

A tense ten minutes went past with me managing my wound the best I could when the door opened and the iron-clad man walked in. He immediately set his two swords down, both covered in black blood, and went quickly into another room. He came back with a white box that had a red cross.

He seemed to look between me and Lindsey, before he approached me. He crouched down and opened the box, then starting removing things. Then he spoke. "Lift up your shirt for me."

I felt my face turn red. Even though the helmet muffled his voice, his request was unmistakable. Amber looked ready to hit him, too. "W-what?"

He looked up at me and when he spoke, his voice was half amused and half annoyed. "We don't have time for modesty. You're bleeding out and I need to see the wound. I'm not asking you to expose yourself, I just need to see the wound."

I nodded and, still blushing, lifted my shirt enough to expose my stomach, but no farther. Fortunately, he seemed to not be interested in any more. First, he rinsed out the cut with water, then he held up some kind of bottle. "I'm going to spray this on the cut. It'll make sure you don't get infected, but it stings."

"Thanks for the warning." He sprayed the liquid, and it did sting, but was easily bearable. I may have winced, though. Next, he placed a soft pad on the cut and held up a tan cloth roll. "Learn forward, please."

I did so, and he used the cloth to hold the pad in place. He stood up. "There we go. You can pull your shirt back down, I'm done."

Relieved, I covered my stomach again and spoke as he moved to look at Lindsey. "Thank you... She's not badly hurt. She took a hit to the head, but no cuts."

I paused as he felt her neck and stared at her chest. Amber immediately stood up and gripped his shoulder. "What are you doing!"

He barely glanced at her. "I'm checking her neck for her pulse, to make sure her heart is beating. I'm watching her chest for movement to make sure she's still breathing."

Amber, still suspicious, but less wary, sat back down. After a second, he seemed satisfied and turned to Amber. "Any injuries?"

She shook her head and he nodded. He walked back into a side room and came back with several steaks on fired clay plates. He handed one to me, one to Amber, sat one on a table near Lindsey, and kept one himself.

He sat down across from us. He reached up to his helmet and Amber and I shared a look. The moment he pulled it off and showed his eyes, we were surprised.

He was completely human.

A Hybrid's eyes will show what kind of mob they were. Amber's eyes had a purple haze to them. Mine were an extremely light color, and Lindsey's held a black tint. His eyes were completely normal. They were ice blue with no other characteristics.

He looked up at us as he used a knife to cut the steak, and we did the same. "Who are you three and why were you in the woods at night?"

I spoke up. "I'm Amaryllis, or Amy."

My black-clad friend spoke next. I'm Amber, and she's Lindsey. Who are you?"

He seemed to accept our unspoken refusal to answer his second question. He grinned a rougeish grin and spoke enthusiastically. "I'm Viron, and I vaguely know where I am, I have no idea how I got here, and I have no clue how to get back home.

TBC

 **Well, that's Chapter 1. This is my first time writing a story in First Person. I've always written in Third. I'm not too sure how to feel about it. If I get enough people asking, I'll change to Third Person, but I plan on staying First.**

 **This is also the longest, single chapter I've written. Most of the time, I balance out at about 3K, yet this one is far past it. Tell me what yIou think about the new length.**


	2. Preparation of a Mage

(Viron's PoV- Viron's Home)

I sat back and smiled as I finished speaking. I enjoyed the look on their faces as they realized I had no clue where I was.

Amy was the first to speak. "Wait, you don't know where you are? What about your family?"

I frowned. "No clue. I'm sure they miss me, and I miss them, but I don't even know why, much less how, I am here."

Amber asked the next question, suspicious of me. "Are you one of them?"

I looked at her, a little amused. "Depends on who 'they' are."

"The Otherworlders." Amber said.

I paused. The name was giving me a bit of an idea as to who and what they were, but I had to be sure. "And they are?"

Amber was silent, but after a couple seconds Amaryllis answered. "Several people from another realm called Earth. They came here a few months ago and started helping a demon."

I nodded. I had suspected it, yet it still surprised me. Why were other humans helping a 'demon'? Why was I here as well? These were questions I felt would not be answered for a long time, maybe even never. I was about to tell them I was from Earth, then something struck me.

"Wait, how did you know they were from Earth?" I asked.

They were both silent for a moment, then Amber answered. "We were captured by them for a while. Eventually, we escaped and they sent those Reapers after us. While we were imprisoned, we learned a few things."

I sat back as I digested the information. Some humans had arrived in Minecraft, like me, and were helping some demon. They were able to order around hostile mobs and were capturing people. I swear- "Is the demon's name Herobrine?"

Amber and Amy looked rather confused, but it was Amy who answered. "I don't think so. I only heard the name once, and it was muffled. All I could understand was that it started with a 'v'."

I was a little relieved. Herobrine, specifically the legend of him, was invincible and basically in Creative mode. I was worried he was the demon, and now relieved he isn't.

I spoke up. "As for your earlier question, yes, I am an Otherworlder. However, unlike the ones who captured you, I have no affiliation with this 'demon'."

Both of the girls looked at me warily, not that I could blame them. Imagine being captured by aliens, then meet more right after escaping. It was only logical to be wary.

"How do we know you aren't lying?"

I smiled. "How do I know you aren't? You could be working for the demon and the Otherworlders are actually fighting it. Hell, you could be the demon."

"Are you accusing me!?" Amber yelled, standing up.

She paused, surprised, when I gestured for her to sit down. "Peace, it was rhetorical. The point is, I don't know if you are lying, and you don't know if I am. We simply have to decide to either trust each other, or don't."

Amber sat down as she understood my point. We all were silent for a moment before Amy spoke. "Now what?"

I smiled. "That's up to you. You can leave now, leave in the morning, or stay for a time. You obviously desire to put some distance between you and them, so I wouldn't mind if you left now. However, at least finish your food before it goes cold."

With that, the two girls remembered they had a plate of steak in front of them. Everyone went silent as we ate, and within a few minutes, we all had finished. Lindsey, of course, was still asleep.

I stood up and collected the plates. "I'll return these and give you two a moment to discuss your plan."

I did leave Lindsey's plate, though. She hadn't awoken, so I planned to save it if she did wake up tonight. I entered the kitchen and placed the plates in the furnace. The fire would burn any bacteria off while leaving the plates unharmed.

The power of fired clay plates. I thought sarcastically.

I waited for them to finish before deactivating the furnace. How it was done, I couldn't explain. Basically, I tapped the furnace and willed it to shut off. Then, I let the plates cool before taking them out and placing then in a cabinet.

Making the cabinets was an interesting process. As I practiced making them, they came out shoddy and worn, nearly unusable. However, after I figured it out and created them in a crafting station, they were near perfect. Making new items is trial and error until you know the recipe. Then, apparently, Minecraft's crafting laws came into play and made them perfect.

Then, I grabbed a leather bag and filled it with generic supplies like coal, iron, and food. I did, however, make sure to separate the iron and coal from the food. No one like coal dust on their steak. I planned to give it to the girls when they left.

After I deemed enough time had passed, I entered the main room again. Lindsey had apparently woken up and ate the food I had left for her. She looked up at me and smiled as I nodded in reply.

Amy and Amber looked at me as I sat down and the black-clad girl spoke. "We'll be leaving tonight. We try to avoid the sunlight since it would be easier to find us."

I sat back. I had developed suspicions that they weren't fully human, and that statement pretty much confirmed them. "Or is it because you're afraid you might burn, Amy?"

All three of them tensed. It was Lindsey that spoke. "How'd you know? Not even the Otherworlders who help the demon know about Hybrids."

I smiled. "Amber just stated you try to avoid sunlight. Creepers are unaffected, but Skeletons burn and Endermen don't like it. Amber avoided the water, yet Amy didn't mind. All that combined with your eyes and clothing make it kinda obvious."

All three of them were silent for a moment. Then, Amy spoke. "Will this be a problem?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "I don't see why it would. Whether Hybrid or full human, you didn't attack me. Anyway, I gathered some supplies to help you."

I handed them the bag and Amber looked through it. "This is a lot of Iron. Are you sure you can spare this much?"

I just smiled. "I have a Foundry outside, if you didn't see it. I am in no short supply of Iron."

Amber nodded. "Thank you."

The three Hybrids stood up. They turned and headed toward the door. I spoke before they exited. "Oh, and the next time you find yourself passing through this area, if ever, find me. I can guarantee I'll be a sight bit more powerful, and I think I'd like to help you against the demon."

They looked back and nodded. The three girls exited and just before walking out, Amy flashed me a grateful smile. Then they were gone. I sighed. "Alone once again."

Then I smiled. "I gotta keep true to my promise, though. First thing tomorrow, I'll start Ars Magica. Maybe set up a Buildcraft quarry."

I stood up and took Lindsey's plate and brought it to the furnace and repeated cleaning it. I replaced it in its cabinet and retired to my room. I lied under the blanket and let my eyes drift closed.

(Viron's PoV- One Day After Departure)

The first thing I did after waking up was eat breakfast, a rather odd combination of apples and bread. Then, I grabbed some sugar cane and planted it near a water source I made using buckets. Taking the extra sugarcane, I made a book by combining paper with leather.

I took the book back to the clearing where I met the three girls only to stop as I realized I forgot the item frame. However, I kept walking anyway, hoping the process didn't need one in the real world. Soon enough, I arrived at the Etherium spring. The Etherium was as I remembered, a light blue liquid with a white sheen.

As I stepped near it, glowing white particles began to resonate from the liquid magic. It coalesced around the book in my hand. With a burst of energy and white light, the plain leather-bound book in my hand transformed into the magical and familiar Arcane Compendium.

Opening it, I immediately noticed a problem. It was nothing like the game. That fact alone led me to believe the real Ars Magica was not the same as the mod, making most if not all of my prior knowledge useless. I'd have to start over and hope I can master it.

I quickly returned home and sat down in one of the chairs in the common room. Cracking open the book once again, I began reading the Introduction to Ars Magica, which hadn't existed in the mod.

Ars Magica is the art of manipulating the elements surrounding the spellcaster to achieve a desired effect upon the world. These effects range anywhere from digging, to teleporting, to shooting bolts of pure electricity from the user's palm. However, an unwary and unprepared Ars Mage can quickly become a victim to his or her own spells, leading to devastating and debilitating effects.

Caution must be exercised when creating or practicing new spells. Now to begin, an aspiring Ars Mage must create a functioning spell forge. Turn to the next page to learn the steps necessary to do so.

I flipped the page and stared at the semi familiar diagrams depicting a spell forge. The usual caps, frame, magical walls, lecturn, and even lever were there, although there was a second lever as well.

First, one must decide the materials to design the spell forge of. Rarer, more valuable materials will allow more powerful spells while more common ones decrease the power of newly created spells. The end caps and main frame must be made of separate materials to allow for...

(Three Days After Departure)

I stepped back from my newly created spell forge. It had taken me the better part of two days to gather the necessary materials. The main frame was built of stone bricks while the caps were made of Redstone blocks. The two levers were prominent on the front as well as the lecturn. The magical walls glowed softly with power as the altar powered up. I had learned that the second lever was to switch between recipe and free design modes.

One could follow the recipe designed by a workbench or attempt to devise a new spell. To follow a recipe, one must go to a Magician's Workbench and formulate the spell desired. Doing so will create a list of ingredients necessary to create the spell. Or, one could add ingredients that may achieve the desired effect to create a new spell. Only starter spells would provide a recipe. More advanced ones must be created by the Ars Mage.

I had acquired all the materials needed to forge my first spell. It was the spell that all players first made. Touch Dig. It did exactly as it sounded. I could dig any block except Obsidian and Bedrock as if I had the appropriate tool. No more pickaxes, shovels, or axes.

Fortunately, I did not need to unlock the modifiers using an Oculus. Apparently, the device did not exist, which makes sense. There is no 'leveling up' in real life.

Throwing the necessary ingredients into the spell forge, including but not limited to, an iron pickaxe, iron shovel, and iron axe, I prepared myself for the energy.

Unlike the mod, no physical spell was created. Rather the energy created was imbued into the Mage, allowing him or her to freely learn and cast a veritably infinite number of spells, rather than how many you could store in your hotbar.

The Vinteum dust was added to the forge and with a rather strange and indescribable noise, a mass of brown energy entered my body and I felt the knowledge of the spell enter my mind. I assumed that the brown coloration represented the spell's Earth affinity.

On the subject of affinities. Each and every spell created by the spell forge is attuned to one or more affinities. Each time an Ars Mage casts a spell, they become slightly more attuned to that affinity.

After enough time, an Ars Mage's body will become fully attuned to the affinity, granting them greater power and specific traits as well as weaknesses. A cautious Mage will also study and carefully deliberate whether or not they are interested in attuning to a particular affinity. The terrain where a Mage lives also influences said affinities. Only a foolish Mage would attune to water in a desert, or earth on an island.

Smiling, I stepped back and looked down at the dirt beneath me. Stepping off it, I focused on the feeling of the energy that had imbued me with power. I felt it emerge from somewhere within me and condense in my hand. Before long, my right hand was glowing with a brown, speckled energy. I aimed it at a dirt cube in front of me and willed the energy to work. It did, and with the iconic pop, the dirt shrunk to its small form.

With a grin, I grabbed the dirt and placed it back. Bringing my hand up and examining it, I took note that the energy was a little dimmer. "I guess that shows my energy that I have left. The dimmer the magic, the less energy I have left."

I brought my sight back to the spell forge. "Time to start making spells!"

(Viron's PoV - Viron's Clearing - Twelve Days After Departure)

I stood in front of the spell forge and tossed in a sunstone and an arrow. My spell forge had been upgraded already, the main frame was made of witchwood while the caps were of sunstone. Any spells I made were significantly more powerful than before. Due to this, I had already remade my spells like self heal, AoE dig and projectile fire.

Right now, I was attempting to make a spell that was more powerful than anything I had ever cast before. I was going to call it Solar Wrath, and I had already failed twice. The ingredients were incredibly difficult to get down right.

The spell was supposed to focus the sun's rays into a single beam that burns down and glasses anything it touches. There were just two problems with that. First, how do I put that into items? The second, I likely won't be able to cast it right. I've found that higher-tier spells tend to be more difficult to cast, like AoE heal. It had taken me nine tries to get it right.

Sending a pulse of magic into the spell lecturn, the forge attempted to combine all the ingredients into a spell. I waited, wary, until a small light began glowing. My eyes widened as I dropped down right before the forge failed, barely dodging a sunstone shard flying over my head. It impacted a tree behind me, destroying a block and collapsing the tree.

With a sigh, I stood back up. "That was my last sunstone and I need more. I guess I'll have to go mining for them."

Entering my home, I immediately went to my armory, another room I added. I donned my battlemage armor and grabbed an overnight supply bag. I had no clue if I'd be gone long, so I wanted to prepare. Having fully equipped with a bag containing wood, sticks, food, coal, and iron, I set off through the forest in search of a cave. It didn't take me long to find one. I descended into the darkness, casting projectile light in place of torches. Every little bit of ore, common or otherwise, I mined. It mattered little that I didn't need any coal, it was a material I might one day need. So, I mined it.

It was due to this that I had accumulated a massive amount iron and gold ore, lapis, redstone, coal, and even a little diamond in a couple hours. My iron and gold, when placed in the Foundry, would effectively double. I sat down on a stone block with a huff. I cast several lights on the walls and placed my sword down. I leaned back and closed my eyes as I began reminiscing the last few days.

I had made a veritable array of spells. I had some for every occasion, both combat, passive, utility, and support. I had ditched the heavy iron armor for a set of battlemage gear. I planned to soon make a set of enchanted heavy cobalt gear... Once I went to the Nether, of course. To do that, I need to make a diamond pickaxe and mine some obsidian.

Its been two weeks since Amaryllis, Lindsey, and Amber had departed after just over an hour. I hadn't seen any sign of any of them, or anyone else. Of course, I had no idea if there even was many others. There could be three, or three million, others in the world for all I know. There could even be a village not far from me and I wouldn't know. I hadn't gone exploring yet, simply too focused on keeping my promise to the three. I don't rightly know what made me make that promise, but I plan to keep it.

I stood up with my newly made diamond pickaxe and began searching for obsidian. Naturally, as it is with all underground caves, the glow of lava showed the way. I simply diverted a stream there and turned it to obsidian. Lighting the now-slightly-darkened cave, I began mining. It felt even longer than normal since touch dig was an instant spell. After nearly thirty minutes, I had over forty pieces of obsidian and believed it to be more than enough. Mining the obsidian also revealed two sunstone, both of which I mined eagerly.

I was about to mine the last sunstone when I heard a quiet rattle. Instantly, I dropped down as an arrow shot over my head. Spinning around, I cast projectile fire and set the skeleton ablaze. Surprisingly, it didn't panic as I expected. Instead, it dropped its burning bow and charged. When it neared, I sidestepped and tripped its legs with my pickaxe. It fell over the obsidian and into the lava, burning away. I stood there for a moment, then looked at where it came. It was another branch of the cavern, one I hadn't seen. No light came from it, making it perfect for mobs to spawn. If they actually did spawn.

I looked back at the lava. "Seems mobs have greater intelligence, yet are still rather simple minded. Minecraft combat patterns won't work here, unfortunately."

Sighing, I cast several light orbs into the tunnel, lighting it up to reveal a whole lot of nothing. I turned back, mined the last piece of sunstone, and headed down the tunnel. The walls were, of course, the normal materials like gravel, dirt, and stones. However, as I went deeper into it, I noticed small hollows and dips. They seemed incredibly familiar, but it didn't click what they were until I saw some shards of an iron pickaxe.

"Someone's been here before. Question is, how long ago?" I asked myself. "Long enough for the torches to burn out, I'd guess."

Looking at the walls, it took me some time, but I noticed a few splinters near the floor and decaying wood. "And rot, too."

I shrugged. "Might as well go home. I've gotten a rather good haul. Two sunstone as well."

I turned around and began the tedious task of retracing my steps. It was times like this, I'd rather dig out. If only maps worked just like the game.

(Viron's PoV - Viron's Clearing)

I entered the clearing and tossed my ores in the foundry, then cleared my inventory. I grabbed the materials I thought I'd need and sat down in front of the spell forge as the sun began to rise.

"Alright, focusing the sun's rays is an easy part. Glass for the focus, sunstone for the sun. Vinteum dust for the energy, and flint and steel for the fire. But what about beam? Arrows don't work, neither does snowballs, both of which are projectile."

I sat there, contemplating for several minutes, before face palming. "Of course. Pure magic. I'd likely need a neutral Etherium nexus with a conduit to power the forge. Ugh. I'll have to start burning vinteum then."

I stood up and set to work, making the chalk circle and stone pillars. A neutral nexus was a single stone obelisk surrounding by a chalk rune circle and stone pillars. By burning Vinteum dust, acquired through mining, it produced pure magic. A light nexus produced light magic through liquid Etherium while a dark nexus produced magic through animal sacrifices.

I linked the nexus to the forge and stepped back. I had placed the neutral one behind the forge, and planned to place the light and dark nexi to the left and right, respectively. I placed some vinteum in the neutral obelisk and allowed it to burn, then attempted the spell again.

This time casting a self protect ward, I activated the lecturn and watched the ingredients disappear. With a now familiar, yet still indescribable noise, I felt a mass of energy rush into me, filling me with the spell's knowledge. Smiling with satisfaction, I cut the nexus off and went to a clear area. I brought my hands to bear, watching yellow magic swirl and emanate from my hands, then willed it to work.

I received no warning before the spell failed, launching me across the clearing and into my Foundry. I groaned and stood up, checking my hands. They were lightly burning and beginning to throb, yet it was bearable. It probably would have been a lot worst if I hadn't had the ward still active. I brought my magic to bear, grunting as it agitated the burns. I frowned as the energy was incredibly dim, showing that I had used all my magic.

"Of course, a failed spell costs more mana than a successful one. It'll be a few hours before I can cast self heal."

With a sigh, I went inside and sat down in a chair that was at a table I used to read. Sitting on it was the Arcane Compendium, the book I consulted every night for further information on magic. I had read through it enough times that I knew how thick it was, yet now it was thicker.

Confused, I opened it with a slight bit of pain and read the table of contents again. At the very bottom were four new chapters.

Rune Magic

Summoning

Necromancy

Magi.

I stared, confused at the new chapters.

"Maybe it is like the mod, a little. The Compendium updated whenever new abilities were unlocked. Maybe the powerful spell creation did it? Either way, this isn't anything like Ars Magica 2. Summoning, Runes, and Necromancy didn't exist."

I smiled and leaned back, closing the book. "Looks like I have a lot more magic to learn. This is going to be fun."

(Viron's PoV - Viron's Clearing - Two Months After Departure)

I stared at the little red thing in front of me. My blue eyes met its black ones.

It blinked. I blinked.

The thing was an Imp, summoned from Etherius, the realm of magic. The Imp was a mage's best friend. They gathered ingredients, spied, and scouted. They were up to my waist usually, were red and black, had short claws and a sharp tail.

This was the first time I had summoned one correctly and I already had a job for it. "Imp, find the Hybrids named Amaryllis, Amber, and Lindsey. They are a Skeleton, Endermen, and Creeper respectively. After you found them, return to me with their conditions. After that, you are dismissed."

It nodded, then was gone. Imps were able to track people through the Etherium, something the Magi of old discovered. I sighed. Magi, the masters of magic. To be considered one, I needed to master all forms of magic, including Necromancy. It was so difficult, a Magi hasn't existed in almost four hundred years, according to the book.

So far, I had become quite skilled in Rune magic, dabbled in Summoning, and barely touched Necromancy. Rune magic was incredibly powerful, but also useful. It allowed a mage to summon a variety of runes to accomplish different tasks. In fact, it was only considered separate from summoning because it didn't summon living creatures, only runes.

Specifically, rune magic, when cast, summoned glowing dark blue symbols, which, as far as I could tell, where random. Each one was capable of casting a spell or even performing pure magic, making them extensions of my own will.

In fact, I had decided to master runes first. It would not only be an incredibly powerful magical defence and offence, but make everyday things easier. Runes also offered the ability to make physical manifestations of magic, allowing my magic to manipulate the world.

Due to the intense use of pure magic, my own mana stores have grown massively. Solar Wrath was a spell I could cast three times if I was fully rested, two otherwise. The spell itself was incredibly powerful and effective. Everything it touched was burned or glassed, and the beam was likely visible for some distance. It was, unfortunately, no surprise when no one investigated, though. It only further cemented my idea that I was alone.

I called my magic into my hands and began shaping it. I reached into the Ether and found the signature of another Imp. Grabbing it, I pulled it through. A white portal opened and the Imp fell through. It got to its feet and stared.

"Imp, search the surroundings for villages. After, return to me and report. Then you are dismissed." It nodded and it too was gone.

Unlike what I believed, the summoning of a creature wasn't forced. It was quite possible to summon something and it not work because none wanted to come. Because of this, when an Etherius inhabitant accepts a summons, it was like a binding contract that they would do whatever asked of them. It actually made summoning beings a lot more reliable since none of them would, or even could, betray me.

I walked to the far edge of the clearing where I had placed the supplies for my next project. Lying right inside the clearing was a pile of several different animal corpses. The first step of Necromancy was casting a spell that prevented the corpse from dispersing like normal. I had left them to check if the spell would destabilize and fail. If that happens, the necromanced corpse would vanish, rendering an undead army useless.

Fortunately, my spell had no such problems and worked perfectly. Due to this, I was ready to preform my first true Necromantic magics. It was an incredibly simple spell of reanimating a corpse by providing a boost to the corpse, essentially 'awakening' it. When I drew the unfamiliar magic to my hand, I immediately noticed it was black rather than the usual white. I casted the spell, then frowned as the top corpse merely twitched. Then, I shrugged.

"I can't expect to do it perfectly like I did touch dig."

(Viron's PoV - Viron's Clearing - A Week Later)

I watched with a mixture of disgusted pride and fascinated horror as several undead sheep wandered my clearing, bleating mindlessly and stumbling. My Necromancy had grown stronger, yet I was only in the first stages of it. Necromancy, unlike the other magics, must be learned slowly or else the dark Etherium would corrupt the wielder. I had no desire of becoming evil, so I took it nice and slow. Right now, I could only reanimate a few corpses. Summoning armies of shades and making golems was stuff I didn't even want to attempt yet.

After all, I wasn't sure how to feel about Necromancy in the first place. After all, I was violating corpses. Granted, right now it was just sheep, but what about in the future? It was something I wasn't eager to learn, but was going to anyway. I dismissed the sheep and they collapsed.

It had been a week since I sent both Imps out, yet neither have returned. Of course, they were likely taking their time since they no doubt enjoyed being in a living world like this. The Compendium had explained that Etherius was rather dull, being made of pure magic and little life. In the end, I wasn't upset. It gave me more time to master my magics.

The Celestial magic, or my 'normal' magic, was incredibly powerful at this point. Solar Wrath was a spell that took very little out of me by this point. The massive increase of massive stores was simply because of my advancements in Rune magic. I could hold nine runes at once, ten if undistracted. Each rune was capable of casting different spells independent of each other. My summoning was low, mainly me summoning lesser beings, having them provide menial tasks, then dismissing them. Finally, of course, my Necromancy was the weakest magic. The Arcane Compendium recommended that I master Necromancy last, due to its difficulty. Of course, I just decided to advance slowly.

Walking into my storage room, I started gathering ingredients for my spell. It was entirely defensive and capable of completely disabling opponents. I didn't really decide a name, just like touch dig or projectile fire, so I called it wave disable. It was a wave spell that would cast Entangle, Blind, Deafen, Mute, and Weaken. It was the ultimate disabling spell.

Having gathered everything, I returned to the spell forge and tossed in the ingredients. First was the vinteum dust, then vines, ink, wool, leather, and a potion of weakness. Finally, I added a water bucket and activated the forge. Watching closely, I smiled as the spell was made and infused within me. Now I had an effective way to disable any opponents that shouldn't be killed.

Stepping back with a satisfied smile, I began brainstorming a spell I considered required. A fast transportation spell, maybe teleportation. Unfortunately, that was something that would be far away from my current power. It was an incredibly taxing spell and I'd need to build up my Rune magic longer.

Then, I heard rustling and turned to see both Imps running up to me. They stopped and my hands glowed as I absorbed their memories. It was a technique summoners needed if they used entities that couldn't speak. Then, after gaining the memories, I experienced them.

(Viron's PoV - Imp's Memory - Village)

My sight was red, black, white, and gray only. Next to me was another Imp, the other one I summoned. Their tasks must have led to the same place. I was outside a large wooden wall with trees surrounding me. Then, both Imps climbed the wall and sat on top, revealing a large village laid out before me. Originally, I couldn't tell if it was made of wood or stone, but I soon noticed smoke and fire, showing it to be wood. I also couldn't hear much, showing the Imp's bad hearing.

I hopped off the wall and ran deeper in the village, the other Imp turning around and leaving. He had been the one sent to find a village. The one I was watching through had been sent to find the others.

Before long, I came across the town square and saw a fight happening. Two men were fighting, one in clothes and another in black armor. Suddenly, the black-clad one died with an arrow through his neck. An archer stepped out from around a corner and embraced the man.

"Father, these raiders are ransacking the town. What should we do?" The archer, now know as female, asked.

"We fight, Gloria. We can't let Ashten fall to mere raiders."

Gloria nodded and both ran off. The Imp continued forward before he came across a large building, maybe a church. There seemed to be a group inside. The building was surrounded, yet the bandits were dozens of meters away. One stepped forward as if to charge, and immediately an arrow pierced the helmet, killing him.

When the Imp looked up, I saw a figure with a bow on the roof. The Imp climbed the roof and saw a gray-clad woman with pale eyes with a bow. Behind her was a black-clad woman with purple eyes brandishing a sword. "Amaryllis, remember to save your arrows unless you know you can kill one."

The gray girl spoke. "I know, Amber. How's Lindsey?"

Amber replied. "She's fine. Last I checked, she was helping set up a barricade. I came to bring you arrows, and then I'm going to help."

Amaryllis nodded and Amber left. Then, I heard the Imp's thoughts.

Targets found. Return to Master. Report.

The Imp left immediately, moving quickly and catching up to the other Imp. Then, both entered the clearing and stood in front of me.

(Viron's PoV - Viron's Clearing)

My mind returned to my own thoughts and I looked down at the Imps, both of which came up to my waist. "You have completed your tasks and may be dismissed, but are you willing to help me further?"

The two looked at each other, then looked back to me and nodded. I spoke. "Extension. You will help me fight the raiders attacking the town of Ashten. After the raid has been dealt with, you may be dismissed."

They nodded. "Wait here while I get you both weapons."

I ran inside and grabbed two large knives for them, then began preparing. I had my Battlemage armor on already, and my spells were always ready. I grabbed my longsword to help in maneuvering. Then, I slung my broadsword over my shoulder and exited my home. I gave the knives to the Imps and spoke. "Lead the way to Ashten, then to the church."

Both Imps began moving away and I followed them into the forest. I'm not sure how long we were running for, but it had to have been over an hour. Gradually, I became aware of a light growing brighter and the sounds of a fire ahead. Then, we exited the tree line and came across the wall surrounding Ashten. Both Imps climbed it and I used my longsword to jump it. We all landed on the other side and I took my first glance at the village.

Like I had guessed, the houses were made mainly out of wood. There were some stone buildings, like the blacksmith and the church, but not many. A lot of the houses were on fire, yet I couldn't hear any fighting. I just hoped I wasn't too late. "Let's go."

We set off toward the church. As I was lead through the streets, we came across no one. There weren't any raiders, or civilians, or even corpses. Soon enough, we came across the church. The large stone building was in the center of a plaza, which was surrounded by more houses. In the church courtyard was what caught my attention.

Over a hundred civilians were tied up and being guarded by even more raiders. Standing away from them but close to us was two men, both raiders. Their armor was plain iron, not the black that the Imps saw. However, one of them had golden inlays, marking him as the leader, or at least higher ranking. Both of them were close enough for me to hear.

"So what does the boss want with all these people?" The lesser asked.

"He plans to force the men to work for us. As for the women, heh, they're the entertainment." He said.

The lesser chuckled. "Right, Captain. Are we ready to move?"

"Might as well. Too many escaped through the tunnels. The hundred or so we have will have to suffice." The Captain said before they walked off.

I looked at the Imps. "I will cast a spell to disable everyone. You two go raider to raider and kill them. Take the leader to my home and guard him. I'm sorry to keep extending your time here, but I need the help."

They shrugged and nodded. I began gathering the magic in my hands and prepared to cast the largest rendition of magic I had ever attempted. The only downside is that it would affect even the civilians.

The magic in my hands was a bright white, then began shifting to a reddish color, indicating the spell changed from pure Celestial magic to a specific spell. I breathed in deeply, brought my hands to bare, and released the spell. Immediately, my mana reserves drained massively, but a red wave of magic washed over the entire courtyard. Vines burst from the ground, disabling everyone. No one could hear, see, speak, or move. "Go!"

The Imps burst into motion and tore through the courtyard, cutting throats left and right. Before long, they grabbed the leader, tore off his armor, and left. Then, I entered the clearing and sat down on the shelf of a small fountain and waited for the spell to wear off. Glancing over the crowd, I spotted Amber, Amaryllis, and Lindsey all near the front, not far from me.

Before long, the spell wore off and their sight, hearing, and speech returned. The vines withered and died and everybody looked around in confusion, their sight drawn to the corpses. Then, I heard a familiar voice. "V-viron?"

I looked at the source, noticing it was Amaryllis who spoke. I grinned at her, noticing everyone's attention on me. "I did tell you I'd be a sight bit more powerful when we next met, Amy."

(Amaryllis's PoV - Church Courtyard - Fifteen Minutes Earlier)

"Amy, what are they going to do with us?" Lindsey asked me.

"I don't know and I really don't want to find out."

My hands and ankles were both tied by the raiders, preventing me from doing anything. Not like I could have anyway. They took my bow and arrows after they stormed the church.

"It looks like the leader is discussing what to do with us." Amber said. I looked over and saw she was probably right. The leader was off to the side talking with one of the raiders. They kept glancing at all of us while they spoke.

"Is there anyone else who can help us?" Lindsey asked hopefully.

"Most of the town went into the tunnels to the underground safe haven. Everyone else is here." Amber replied.

A thought struck me. "What about Viron? Any chance he's coming?"

Amber shook her head. "Unlikely. He probably doesn't even know the village exists. Besides, what could he do to all these people?"

Lindsey spoke up softly. "He did promise to become stronger."

"He's a human. Humans lie. We're Hybrids. If Ashten knew what we were, they'd kill us." Amber retorted.

"Yet he never hurt us. In fact, he helped us, even knowing what we are." I shot back.

Amber didn't have a reply to that, and the two raiders started walking back. When they reached us all, the leader spoke. "Let's bring them back home! Once we get there, put the men to work. As for the women, they are our toys. Do what you will."

I felt horrified as the raiders began to pick up people. However, I noticed a red glow coming from a dark alleyway. "Amber, what's that?"

She followed my gaze. "I don't really know."

Before I could reply, a red wave burst out of the darkness. The moment it hit me, everything went black. I couldn't hear, see, or move. When I tried to speak, my mouth wouldn't move. I was terrified. I didn't know what happened, or if I died. After what seemed like hours, I felt my hearing and sight return. When I could see, I saw vines falling off me and dying. I went to speak, but the words died in my throat when I saw what happened.

All around me, every single raider was dead with their throats cut. I looked around and it was the same across the entire courtyard. I looked where the leader used to be and felt my heart skip a beat. A familiar face was sitting on a nearby fountain, looking around. "V-viron?"

He looked at me and grinned. "I did tell you I'd be a sight bit more powerful when we next met, Amy."

I didn't know what to say, and that was only compounded when glowing blue symbols started appearing around people and cutting the bonds. When my ropes were cut, I stood up and walked over to him. I only vaguely noticed everyone else doing the same, even Lindsey and Amber. "Viron, what was that? I couldn't see, or hear, or anything. It was terrifying!"

Several voices mumbled an agreement and his smile fell. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was the only spell I know that can disable a large force. Problem is that it hits everybody, not a few."

I looked at a few of the corpses. "Why didn't we die?"

Viron chuckled. "That's not part of the spell. I just had a couple friends execute the raiders while they were down."

I looked back at him and locked eyes. I noticed his eyes weren't just the same ice blue they had been. They had flecks of white, dark blue, and black. The dark blue was the same as those symbols. "I guess you really did keep your promise."

He smiled and I returned it. "Yep. Now, you might want to get the others out of the tunnels."

My eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know about that?"

"I overheard the raider Captain talking about it." He replied.

I spun around and noticed that most of the people had already left and only Amber and Lindsey was behind me. I saw the Captain's armor, but not him. "Where did their leader go?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Amy. My friends brought him to my home and are watching him. I plan to pay him a visit and, ah, question him soon."

I felt the tension leave me and turned to face him. Finally, I noticed his new armor. It seemed like it was made of leather and symbols were scrawled over it. "Once the mayor returns, you'll need to speak with her. She'll want to know what happened. Then we'll go question him."

He raised an eyebrow and looked behind me. "You two as well?"

I looked back and they nodded, Amber flashing me an apologetic smile for what she had said about him earlier. I looked at him and he smiled. "Alright, easy enough. Now, let's help Ashten."

(Author's PoV - Author's Note)

First, I'm sorry for the really long wait for this chapter. I have an incredibly active imagination and sometimes can't stay working on the same story. However, inspiration has hit me so expect chapters more often.

Second, this chapter may have seen a bit off or fast, but that's because I was trying to skip the 'leveling up' without actually skipping it. In Minecraft, upgrading gear is fun, yet reading it is not. So I did a montage-like chapter of several developments. Next chapter should be more like what you expect.

Side note: I wrote a 7,294 word chapter in two days.


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